Recipe time! I still haven't gone through my collection, but here are some things I eat often or have been eating lately. All are fast, easy, and generally healthy. I only listed a few things from
Budget Bytes, but that whole site is amazing.
I usually double whatever I'm making so I don't have to cook as often. Everything listed freezes really well, with the possible exception of the frittata (low-fat egg dishes can get watery in the freezer, but there are freezer-friendly recipes online). Most recipes either completely consist of ingredients I keep in the pantry or freezer, or just require 1 or 2 ingredients extra. All are very forgiving if you need to substitute or leave out an ingredient or two.
Here we go:
I mentioned shakshuka in another thread. It's an easy, fast, one-pot meal that works equally well as breakfast or dinner- poached eggs in a spicy (if you want it to be) tomato and/or red pepper sauce. You can make a big pot of the sauce, freeze, and then just defrost what you want and then cook the eggs in it. Here's
one recipe where you put the skillet in the oven to bake the eggs (cover the handle with foil if it's not oven friendly!) and
another where you cook the eggs on the stove. Results are really similar either way. Delicious over crusty bread or hummus.
This
Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup is delicious on its own, with grilled cheese, or with a frittata like
this yummy and low-cal spinach, feta, and tomato one (photos are crappy but it looks and tastes great). Pro-tip: bake a frittata recipe in muffin tins for an easy breakfast on-the-go. Googling "egg muffins" will turn up a ton of hits and you can customize with whatever fillings you want. Lots are freezer-friendly.
Another soup I love is this
Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup recipe, also from Budget Bytes. It's simple but really satisfying and filling. My boyfriend likes it so much that even though he basically never cooks, he's been making it by the gallon and bringing it to work for lunch.
Easy
Teriyaki Sauce plus veggies + protein + rice makes a nice stir-fry. I leave out the rice wine (don't have it) and the 1/4 cup sugar (tastes good without it). If you do like a sweeter stir-fry, here's a copycat for
Panda Express's Orange Chicken. I do it much simpler- I mix up the sauce (usually in a food processor/blender so I don't have to sauté or chop) while I bake tofu at around 400 - 450 degrees so it gets crispy. I bring the sauce to a simmer on the stove, dump in the cornstarch/water mixture and then when it thickens (after about a minute) add the tofu (I also add sautéed veggies). Heating the sauce, then adding cornstarch/water, and then adding your protein/veggies is what makes stir-fries glazed and restaurant-quality instead of soggy. I usually keep some sauce and vegetables in the freezer for a fast meal.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes don't actually taste like cottage cheese. They're just a higher-protein and lower-carb version of regular pancakes. Excellent for brinner! I usually use ground oats instead of flour. If you have a waffle maker, here are some high-protein waffle recipes that freeze beautifully:
one and
two. Adding about a 1/2 tablespoon of oil improves the texture. I got an ancient waffle/pancake maker at a yard sale for $5 and it's awesome.
I made this
Red Lentil Dal last night. It's much faster and easier than you'd think since you don't need to soak the lentils- basically dump stuff in a pot, cook for a while, and then do 2 more minutes of work at the end. I left out the cilantro and subbed cayenne pepper for the chiles.
I can't believe I almost forgot about this
Coconut Curry Vegan Ramen. Don't let the word vegan scare you- it is so, so rich and satisfying. I do the mushroom and green onion toppings, use whole wheat spaghetti, and don't strain it. Really easy, and tastes better than some ramen I've had in restaurants.
Bonus: Definitely not healthy, but this
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Pie only has five ingredients, could not be easier (no bake!), looks fancy, and tastes even better than it looks. I'm making it for valentine's day
